Wiggonby CofE School

Inspection of a good school: Wiggonby CofE School Wiggonby, Wigton, Cumbria CA7 0JR

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Outcome

Wiggonby CofE School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They are excellent ambassadors for the school. Pupils enjoy respectful relationships with each other and with staff. The school cares deeply about pupils’ mental health and well-being. Pupils are happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, respond well to the high expectations that the school has of their achievement. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s eco council provides pupils with opportunities to improve their local environment. They learn to plant trees and to grow flowers and vegetables. Pupils are proud of their recent success in a community gardening competition.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils become more confident and resilient through the extra responsibilities that they are given. For example, by acting as buddies, lunchtime servers and playground leaders. Staff support pupils well to develop into independent young people. Pupils have opportunities to take part in clubs, including choir and multi-skills. They attend events, such as inter- school sports competitions. These experiences help pupils to develop their talents and interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking part in outdoor and adventurous activities during residential trips. Visits to museums and major cities help pupils to deepen their understanding of the subjects that they study.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In most subjects, the school has designed an ambitious suite of curriculums. Pupils benefit from the broad range of subjects that they study. The information that they should learn has been carefully organised so that pupils build their knowledge securely over time. Most pupils are well prepared for each stage of their education. This includes children in the early years, who are ready for the demands of key stage 1. 14 November 2023

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The school has recently strengthened the curriculum in a small number of subjects. Consequently, in these subjects, some pupils have not had the time to deepen their knowledge and understanding over time.

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Staff have strong subject knowledge. They choose appropriate activities to help most pupils to learn the curriculum well. In the early years, children make a strong start to their education. Staff provide them with many opportunities to hear and to use new words. High quality interactions from staff help to support children’s communication and language development.

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Staff make regular checks on what pupils know and remember. They address any gaps or misconceptions that pupils may have in a timely manner. This helps to make sure that pupils’ knowledge is secure before they move on to new learning.

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The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff use this information diligently to design activities that enable these pupils to learn alongside their peers. The extra support that some pupils receive helps them to quickly build their literacy and numeracy skills.

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Reading is prioritised across the school. In the Nursery class, children learn vocabulary through listening to a wide range of stories and joining in with a variety of rhymes and songs. Staff deliver the phonics programme effectively from the beginning of the Reception class. The books that pupils read are closely matched to the sounds that they already know. As a result, most pupils become confident and fluent readers. The school has a precise understanding of pupils’ individual reading skills. Pupils with gaps in their phonics knowledge receive highly tailored support to help them to catch up with their peers.

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Pupils develop a detailed understanding of the world around them through the books that they read. They talk with confidence about human rights and justice. Pupils understand the importance of caring for the planet.

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In lessons, pupils have highly positive attitudes to their learning. They work together sensibly during group activities. Pupils listen well to the views and opinions of others. Their learning is rarely interrupted.

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The school provides pupils with memorable experiences that support their personal development. Pupils know how to look after their own physical and mental health. This includes the importance of sleep and the power that positive thinking can have. They have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils respect the differences that exist between people. They learn about the impact that significant historical figures have had on the world, such as ‘Jesse’ Owens, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

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The governing body carries out its duties effectively. It keeps a clear focus on the impact that the curriculum has on pupils to ensure that they achieve well. Staff value the positive 14 November 2023

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culture of teamwork that exists at the school. Recent curriculum developments have provided support for their well-being. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has only recently identified the important information that pupils should learn. As a result, some pupils do not have sufficient depth of knowledge in these subjects. The school should embed the curriculum in these areas to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they should.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and 14 November 2023

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pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Carlisle. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in March 2019. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by July 2025.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school has nursery provision for children aged between three and four years old.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time inspection judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and leaders of SEND, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample 14 November 2023

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of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  An inspector observed some pupils from the Reception Year to Year 2 read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. The lead inspector also held a meeting with the designated safeguarding lead.  The lead inspector held a meeting with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke to the senior school’s adviser of the diocese and a local authority general adviser.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments. They took account of the responses from staff and pupils to Ofsted’s online surveys and gathered their views during the inspection.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences of school and their views of behaviour and bullying. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at break and lunchtimes.  Inspectors spoke to staff about their workload and well-being.

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Inspection team

Andy Cunningham, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindy Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 14 November 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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